Tank heater



Patented June 12, 1923. I

UNITED stares g "1.45am TENT ori ice.)

HARRY L. COLLINS, or DELMAR, IOWA.

TANK HEATER.

p Application filed February 7, 1922. Serial K0153455 1.

To all whom it may 001mm Be it known that I, I'IARR'Y L. COLLINS,

a citizen of the United States, residingat proved tank heater embodying certainnovel features which permit of its being easily installed in either wood or metal tanks, and which when so installed will serve in a very practical and efficient manner the purposes intended.

Another object is to provide a tank heater,

of novel construction adapted to be fired through a doorat one side of the tank, thus promoting convenience in operation and which is submersed in the tank so as to provide maximum heat radiating surface, thereby promoting economy in maintenance and 7 operation.

. Another object resides in the provision of a tank heater and novel means for coupling or securing the heater to either curved or straight walls of both wood and metal tanks, the heater being thus applicable to practically any of the conventional makes of tanks.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those familiar with this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings,-in which Figure 1 is a top view of a heater embodying my invention applied to a curved-wall wood tank;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, showing the couplingmember'and fire door end of vertical section; I

Fig. 3, a top view showing a modified form of the invention in which the heater proper is cylindrical in cross-section;

Fig. 4, a front view of the tank heater proper shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5, a front section of the front plate and fire door end for the cylindrical type of heater.

In the use of my invention the heater casing may be of different sizes, shapes and the heater in proportions, and in the present application I have illustrated two forms, viz: one in rwhich the casing is square in cross-section and the other round. My invention contemplates the application of either one of these g l e equivalent, to either a straight or a curved 'wall water tank; In the first example, the heater casing has a straight side adapted for. direct connection to the wall of a straight-side tank whether the latter is of wood or metal. This straightside heater casing may; also be applied to a curved-wall tank by thecuse of an intermediate casing section or coupling as will be described more fully hereinafter.

The heater is preferably in the form of a horizontally elongated casing designated generally by 16, of any suitable cross-seclllOl'lZLlSllflPB and adapted" to rest onthe bottom of a tank and inclosing a suitable grate. The casinghas an open endthrough which it isv fired as explained hereinafter, and is closed at its oppositeend except for a fine v opening through-the top, the flue reaching above the level of the water. The casing is preferably of integral construction, such as a casting. I

In Figs. 1 and 2,are shown the application of my invention toa tank having a round upright side wall 37 of wood. In this instance an intermediate casing section or coupling'38 is employed for connectingthe heater casing to. the. tank wall. It will be observed that this heater casing sectionis open from end to end and has a straight side flange 39 bolted to the flange'22 of the i heater casing proper by means of bolts 41, and that it extends through the opening 32 in the tank wall 37 and has a curved flange 42conform'ing to the outer curvature of the wall 37 and bolted thereto by means of f bolts 43, a suitable packing 40 being interposed between said flange and wall. A curved rear plate 44 is secured by the bolts 43 to the inner side of the wall. 37 The opening 32' is sufficiently large for passage of the flange 39'and affords water spaceentirely around and throughout the length 'of the casing section 38,'thereby effecting a practical insulation between this section and the tank wall. The fire door 45 is in this instance hingedly supported on the flange 42. It will thus be seen that with the use of an additional casing section, the same heater may be applied either to a straight or curved wall tank and to tanks of this class made.

either of woodor metal. In-other Words,

my invention contemplates and provides a tank heater proper and means for securing the feed end 0f the tank heater to the side I 46 is circular in cross-section, but in other respects is similar to the principles dis closed with reference to the heater casing 1 6. That is, the casing has an annular flange 47, atlits open end for attachment to the tank {all and has, a fiue 48, a suitable leg structure ll-Slat its closed end, and a grate 51. The front. plate 52 is annular to'conform to the shapeot the flange 47, and a circular door is hingedly supported on the plate 52. This heater may he installed in the. sameumanner as described abovewith reference to the heater 16; likeisegan annular casing? section corresponding to thesection 38 maybe employed for coupling; the heater casing 46 to a curved wall tank; 1 1 i It'willbe; apparent from the foregoing that the tank heater is composed of but (very few parts constructed in a very simple and practical manner and permit-ting application to practically any conventional water tank. By so constructing the tank heater that it is supported in. part by the .tank. wall and is fed through such Wall, an arrangement is obtained which promotes b low cost. in production of the parts, ease and simplicity in installing, and convenience and economy in operation and main- .tenance. I I v It is believed that the foregoing conveys a memunderstandingtofthe objects prefaced vabove, and while I have shown several working embodiments it shouldbe understood that these-are merely for purpose of illustration, and considerable change might .be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.v t v Iclaim:

1. The ,combination with a water tank having a curved upright sidelwall, of a heater casingjdisposed in the tank and hav- 1ng;. a straight-side feed end, a casing; sec- [tion bolted to said straight-side feed end 2. The combination with a tank having a curved upright side wall, a tank casing adapted to be immersed in the tank and having a straight-side openi eed end and a peripheral flange around said end, an open-end coupling casing having a peripheral flange at each end, one of which matches the flange on the heater casing and the other of which is shaped to conform to the on the outer side of said wall shaped to match the curved flange on said coupling casing, bolts for. clamping said. plate and coupling casing flange to the interposed tank wall and for clamping together the other coupling casing flange and the heaterfiang'e, and a fire door supported on said front plate. v

3. In combination, a water tank, a side wall of which :has an opening, therethr ough,

a heater casing adapted to be supported in the tank, submersed and having a feed end extending through said opening, means connecting said feed end of the heater casing to'the outer side of the tank including bolts passing through the tank wall,

and a fire door on the feed end of the casing, the portions of said feed. end passing through said opening being spaced inwardly from the wall of said opening providing a waterinsulation between the heater casing and the surrounding wall of the tank.

4;. In combination, a water tank having a curved upright side wall provided with an opening therethroug'ln a heater casing disposed in the tank and having a straightside flange at its feed end, a heater casing section having a straight-side flange atone end complemental to said flange on, the

curvature of the upright tank Wall, a plate 7 heater casing, means connecting'said flanges,

said casing section having a feed ejnd registermg Wltll said opening" in the tank wall andhavmg at said feed end a curved fiang'e complement al to the curved tank wall, bolts passing through said wall and securing said curved fiange thereto, and a fire door for the'feed end of sa d casing sect on.

HAR Y: COLLINS. 

